Reservoir completion systems installed in production, injection, and storage wells often incorporate screens positioned across the reservoir sections to prevent sand and other solids particles over a certain size from entering the reservoir completion. Conventional sand screen joints are typically assembled by wrapping a filter media around a perforated basepipe so fluids entering the sand screen from the wellbore must first pass through the filter media. Solid particles over a certain size will not pass through the filter media and will be prevented from entering the reservoir completion.
For example, a reservoir completion system 10 in FIG. 1 has completion screen joints 20 deployed on a completion string 14 in a borehole 12. Typically, these screen joints 20 are used for vertical, horizontal, or deviated boreholes passing in an unconsolidated formation, and packers 16 or other isolation elements can be used between the various joints 20 to isolate various zones 30A-30C of the formation. During production, fluid produced from the borehole 12 directs through the screen joints 20 and up the completion string 14 to the surface rig 18. The screen joints 20 keep out fines and other particulates in the produced fluid. In this way, the screen joints 20 can prevent the production of reservoir solids and in turn mitigate erosion damage to both well and surface components and can prevent other problems associated with fines and particulate present in the produced fluid.
In addition to open hole, the screen joints 20 can also be used in cased holes. Additionally, the screen joints 20 can be used for gravel pack operations in which gravel (e.g., sand) is disposed in the annulus of the borehole around the screen joint 20 to support the unconsolidated formation of the open borehole 12.
Screen joints having selectable sleeves, inflow control devices, valves, and the like have been designed in the past. As with other screen joints, these types of screen joints are used for filtering the flow of production fluid into the screen joints and to prevent flow of fluid out of the screen joints to the borehole.
In contrast to the screen joints of the prior art, there is a need for a screen assembly that can be used for “frac pack” operations and can then withstand high rate injections without flowback.